During a recent stay in Toronto, I frequently used the Toronto Transit Commission – TTC - public transport system to travel all over the city. I found it extremely easy and economical to use. I rode a total of twenty-nine subways, streetcars, and buses. I found that the transport vehicles came frequently and were clean. On the two occasions when all seats were taken, other passengers saw that I was a senior and offered me their seats.
The streetcars, like the one above, and buses have highly visible route number and destination signs. In this case, the lighting when I took the picture obscured the sign.
At each bus and street car stop, there is a sign which identifies which buses and streetcars stop there. Many stops also have a weather shelter. Google Maps also identifies where the stations and stops are located.
Typically, a clear announcement is made twice before each stop. There are also overhead lighted signs displaying the next stop. The busses may not stop at a given bus stop if no one is waiting at the stop and if no passenger requests a stop. It’s very easy to request a stop. You can either press a large red square button near your seat or pull a yellow wire near a window.
There are a variety of ways to pay, including a phone app. I chose to use a transit system Presto card because if offered a discount rate for seniors. The per trip cost was C$2.50, which was US$1.85 at my credit card’s exchange rate. The card is extremely easy to use. When entering a subway station gate or getting on a bus or streetcar, you simply tap the card on a card reader. Once you’ve tapped the card, you can take as many rides as you wish during a two-hour period. I have taken as many as two subways and two buses during the two hour period - a subway and bus to get to my destination, and a bus and subway to return to my starting point.
I purchased the Presto card at a Shoppers Drug Mart for C$4. I had C$50 loaded onto the card when I purchased it. When I left Toronto after the twenty-nine rides, I still had C$5 left on the card. You can easily check how much is left on a card by slipping the card into a card purchase machine at a subway station. An employee at a station showed me how to use the machine to check the remaining $ on the card. You can also add money to the card at the station.
I did discover that I could not set up an on-line Presto account because I did not have an Ontario address.
